Circle of Silver: Preparedness
Words By: Elladee Brown
Images By: Anne Keller
We’ve told three previous stories about Trout Lake and the Silvercup’s historic past.
This final piece, part 4, is about navigating ourselves and our bikes, as we traced history through raw and untamed landscapes. As described earlier in parts 1-3, these routes were established at a time when backcountry travel was much more primitive. And here we were, the future exploring the past…
The Silvercup backcountry is not a place you blindly forge ahead. Our trips into these remote areas were months in the making. BC’s Columbia Mountain chain demands respect! Adventure can be many things, but easy it isn’t – the weather, mechanicals or a sudden health event can quickly change the best day of your life into the worst.
Preparedness for an eMTB backcountry adventure begins long before your tires hit the dirt.
It starts with planning…your route, your bike, your safety gear, and your riding partners. Each one is as important as the other. Neglect any of these elements and you’re elevating risk unnecessarily. Personal responsibility involves you managing you, and riding within your limits…find others who are like-minded.
An exploratory ride requires a route, and for us it starts with cross-referencing. One app or one map is not enough. Paper maps, Google Earth, Gaia, Trailforks, Strava—each gives you a slightly different view of the data. Local knowledge is key, and a conversation with someone who’s been there can reveal things a GPS can’t. From different sources, we stitch together a plan based on consistencies from the various platforms and intel we referenced. There’s much more to expand upon here, but this is a broad stroke of our process.
Weather is the next critical piece.
When you’re always outdoors, you’re checking weather obsessively.
It advises your clothing kit and expectations – it’s the low hanging fruit that’s easily accessible. I’ve learned that bluebird days are more than just photogenic. Clear skies mean you avoid rain, snow, and cold, but they also make rescue faster should you ever need it. Having been involved in a couple of search and rescue incidents, perfect visibility led to a positive outcome. Things can turn without warning – control the things you can and create some margin for the things you can’t.
eMTBs have a unique allure. They push the horizon of distance and speed, and if your technical skills align, you’ll experience the next world of mountain biking; longer distances, more volume of tech, and elevation gains that make you look at your device twice to confirm you’ve climbed 6000 ft!
It takes a different kind of toll on your bike, body and mind.
For over 35 years I’ve ridden mountain bikes, yet riding an eMTB meant learning new things.
It took me weeks of consistent riding to fully understand battery management, brake control, power modes, pacing and bike set–up. The Bosch Performance CX motor changed my riding style. It gave me the power to try impossible analog technical climbs, and more confidence in the steep, loose stuff. The low-down weight of the mid-drive motor made the bike feel more planted and stable – specifically with Pivot’s suspension platform, already well known for its anti-squat properties and superior traction…these benefits are amplified on an eMTB. Quick bursts of speed helped me punch through rough sections, smoothing out the trail. When models like the Pivot Shuttle AM and LT arrived, with big batteries and suspension travel, my idea of a big day out got bigger.
At 130 lbs,
I can cover close to 55–60 km with 3,500–5,000 ft of climbing aboard a 750Wh fully charged battery…riding mostly in Turbo (purple), switching to ECO where it makes sense, cruisy low angle terrain. When I add the 250Wh PowerMore range extender, my distance increases to 75–80 km.
The Bosch/Pivot Flow app
The Bosch / Pivot Flow app lets you customize each mode or completely change the modes from a palette of eight modes total. Understanding the more detailed features of the ap requires consistent use. Testing the capabilities of your bike on local trails is essential before heading into the backcountry – you can track cadence, effort, altitude, and distance to name a few of the data points. It enables you to match your trip plans with your battery size…before you’re somewhere far from home.
One of the many things I love about British Columbia is our forward-thinking eMTB policy.
The provincial government moved early to allow Class 1 e-bikes on non-motorized trails, clearly defining motor size, wattage, and speed. But legislation was only part of the equation…education and respect between all trail users has been the secret sauce.
The combination of greater distances and speed can quickly make small problems big. Even minor mechanicals can become a trip ending ordeal. You need a tuned bike and the skills to handle your own trailside repairs. Whether it’s muscle, metal, or carbon, the principle is the same: everything needs to work for a successful mission.
Communication is a lifeline.
If you can’t call for help, you’re at a serious disadvantage. Your phone’s battery is your connection to the outside world. After just one day of GPS tracking and map use, your phone is drained.
An external power bank is something you should never be without – fully charged with the right cable. Test it before your trip, make sure it works. Without power, you risk losing your connection to the world.
My backpack is practical, refined through years of trial and error. Here’s what I carry:
- Pump: SILCA Electricco Ultimate
- Tire repair: plugs, levers, and a spare tube
- Drivetrain fixes: spare chain links, chain breaker
- Multi-tool: allen keys and a few common bolts
- Adhesives & fixes: electrical tape
- Weather protection: rain jacket, gloves
- Lighting: Outbound Lighting helmet light
- Emergency gear: emergency bivy
- Power: external battery pack and cords
- Food & hydration: bars, gels, sandwich, water filter
- Fire-starting: lighter
- Wildlife safety: bear spray and air horn
Preparedness is a mindset.
It’s about thinking ahead, asking questions, and building redundancies into your plan.It’s about respecting the wild and acknowledging its’ unpredictability. You might be 30km from the nearest road, with fading daylight, and the decisions you make in those moments will matter.
Being in the Silvercup backcountry is both a privilege and a gift. The moments of exhilaration you feel being amongst its endless ridgelines is the reward. But it tests you, which is why we love it. Preparation provides the opportunity to refine your skills and learn new things. Because in the mountains, adventure is uncertain, but what you can guarantee is how prepared you are.
